Chapter 4 - Marriage

Question 1

Define: marriage

Answer 1

A legally and socially recognized union. A legal contract that is recognized in a court of law.

Question 2

What is a possible contributor to the rise in marriages since 1990s?

Answer 2

The legalization of same-sex marriage in 2003 may be a contributor to the rise in marriages since 1990s. 10% of total married are same-sex.

Question 3

What is the importance of the Marriage (Prohibited Degrees) Act?

Answer 3

It identifies people who cannot marry. No person shall marry another person if they are related lineally, or as brother or sister or half-brother or half-sister, including by adoption.

Question 4

What is the importance of the Civil Marriage Act?

Answer 4

It defines marriage as “the union of two people to the exclusion of all others”, monogamous relationship, no bigamy.

Question 5

Define: serial monogamy

Answer 5

A series of marriages to different partners, although to only one at a time. In North America we have the tendency, though one marriage may dissolve, to seek out another. This is culturally accepted.

Question 6

What are the different areas in which cultures can differ in their definition of marriage?

Answer 6

• the gender of partners involved, ex. for/against homosexuality
• number of people involved, ex. for/against polygamy
• legitimacy of children
• involvement of sexual/procreative relations, ex. tally tying; a union bonding a cohort of young girls sharing social responsibility to care emotionally/financially for each other, nonsexual
• rules of preference and exclusion

Question 7

Define: endogamy

Answer 7

A cultural rule/preference to marry within your descent group or community.

Question 8

Define: exogamy

Answer 8

A cultural rule/preference to marry outside your descent group or community.

Question 9

Define: polygamy

Answer 9

Marriage of one person to more than one person of the opposite sex.

Question 10

Define: polygyny

Answer 10

One man married to several wives (most common), ex. Muslim countries, some African societies, some Mormons.

Question 11

Define: sororal polygyny

Answer 11

One man married to several wives who are sisters.

Question 12

Define: polyandry

Answer 12

One woman married to several husbands (very rare), ex. Tibet.

Question 13

What are 3 reasons that first marriages are occurring later in life in Canada?

Answer 13

• women’s greater education levels, when a culture prizes women’s education the age at first marriage is higher
• poor opportunities for young workers, young people wait to be financially stable to marry
• increase in proportion of cohabitation/couples living together before marriage, maybe due to fear of marriage after growing up in a divorced family, and less people are religious now may have less religious pressure to marry first

Question 14

What are 2 types of illegal marriages in Canada?

Answer 14

1. marriage of convenience; sole purpose is for the spouse to immigrate
2. forced marriage; coerced to marry by a third party, usually parents forcing